Staging Site

A very American dino at Dinosaur Ridge.

The Mile High City has lots to offer for a family vacation. Set against the Rocky Mountains and featuring a very lovely 300 days of sun per year, Denver combines the bustle of a big city with lots of family-friendly fun. Read on for ideas!

1. Calling all paleontologists (and other girls and boys who just think dinosaurs are really cool)! Visit Dinosaur Ridge to explore ancient Colorado and the creatures who once inhabited it. Check out hundreds of dino tracks and a quarry of bones on the 1.5 mile Dinosaur Ridge trail (sites are marked along the way), and for extra credit, visit the Exhibit Hall, too (admission is $2).

2. The 16th Street Pedestrian Mall stretches 15 blocks long, and is lined with shops, restaurants, and lots of street entertainment, form jugglers to mimes to musicians). Tired legs - or kids who love big city buses? Hop on the free shuttle bus to get from end to end in a snap.

3. Do your little ones have a carefully curated piggy bank at home? Show them how money is made! The United States Mint of Denver offers free daily tours; see the creation of money form start to finish (so much work for one penny!). In preparation for your visit, see if the kids can find a small "D" on any of the coins in your pocket: that means it was produced in Denver!

Thrifty Travel Fun: Austin, TX Read Post

Texas

Thrifty Travel Fun: Austin, TX

From its fantastic live music to its burgeoning restaurant scene to its very own culture, Austin is a wonderful place to take the family. Read on for three ways to have some extra-Austin fun, without breaking the bank.

photo by alamosbasement / Flickr

1. Here are three words you don't often hear together: Cathedral of Junk. Intrigued? Then imagine how entranced the kids will be by the towering tangle of cast-offs that fill Austinite Vince's backyard. One local mother described it as an "I-Spy museum of recycled "treasures"" (click through for her take on Vince's recent switch-over to an up-to-code, city-approved attraction), and it's the perfect place for some urban exploring! Sometimes Vince has to run out on some errands, so call 512-299-7413 before showing up.

2. We parents know that keeping our little voyagers well-fed is one of the keys to avoiding travel overload meltdowns - but it gets pricey to eat on the road! Enter this brilliant guide to Austin area restaurants that offer kids-eat-free deals. Thanks a million to the parents who must be behind this!

3. Forget the old "wish you were here" postcards; snap a family portrait or three in front of the colorful "Greetings From Austin" mural at Annie and South First Street, and let everyone know you're alive and well and having a blast! (Note: please don't really forget the postcards - Grandma and Grandpa deserve some snail mail, too!)

Here's Austin blogger RWeThereYet's family in front of the mural - she's the same mom who gave the thumbs up to the Catherdral of Junk, and you can find many more kid-friendly Austin fun ideas on her blog!

Thrifty Travel Fun: Cleveland, OH Read Post

Ohio

Thrifty Travel Fun: Cleveland, OH

Traveling through Ohio with the kids? Make a stop in beautiful Cleveland! Below, three ways to pack a day full of fun (without blowing your budget).

photo by Erik Daniel Drost / Flickr

1. With an entire acre under glass and four more outside, the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse is a Cleveland must-visit. Seasonal floral displays, theme gardens (kids will love the cacti room!), and an emphasis on education make it a great place to spend an afternoon (nothing beats a greenhouse if you run into some blustery, cold weather!). Admission is free for the whole crew!

2. Parents of wiggly young travelers know the value of a good open space, and it seems that Cleveland does, too. Take some time to run around on the Mall, a long public park that stretches through downtown Cleveland. The park is lined with the city's civic and government buildings, giving you a chance to enjoy the local architecture, and Cleveland Public Art sponsors changing public art series on the Mall. Make sure to take a picture with Abe!
Bonus:
Why not pick up some local specialties at one of Cleveland's farmers markets and have a picnic? Don't forget to bring some bubbles!

3. All aboard! Take a short trip out of Cleveland to visit the Medina Toy and Train Museum. The small museum features interactive children's exhibits, running model trains, and toys, dolls, and model cars dating back to 1900. Admission is free, and the museum is located right on Medina's historic downtown square.

Thrifty Travel Fun: Providence, RI Read Post

Rhode Island

Thrifty Travel Fun: Providence, RI

It may be the smallest state in the country, but Rhode Island still has plenty to offer for a family vacation, from gorgeous beaches to charming, bustling cities without the chaos. Below, three kid-approved items to add to your list for a budget visit to Providence, RI.

Photo by Rich Moffitt / Flickr

1. Explore Roger Williams Park! With 435 acres of open spaces, lakes, and specimen trees, energetic little travelers will have lots of room for adventuring. The nationally recognized Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, and the Botanical Center are all housed within the park, and be sure to ride the beautiful Victorian-style Carousel ($1 per rider)!

2. Take a ride on the East Bay Bike Path. The 14.5 mile paved path stretches from Providence to Bristol - get a great view of Providence, stretch out little legs, and (most importantly) work up an appetite for a double scoop at Dari Bee Ice Cream, located right off the Path.

3. Do the little tykes have no patience for history museums? Providence's mile-long Benefit Street is crammed with history, but SO much more fun. Perhaps a stroll down this cobblestone street calls for dressing up in fancy hats and pretending to be from the olden days? Admire one of the highest concentrations of Victorian and Colonial era houses in the country (you can pick up a street map from the Rhode Island Historical Society at 21 Benefit Street) - and, psst, rumor has it Benefit Street is frequented by ghosts of the past...

It's a girl! Woman delivers baby on a plane Read Post

It's a girl! Woman delivers baby on a plane

A brave woman delivered a baby 25 minutes after take-off on an Aeroflot flight traveling from the Ukraine to Russia, according to UPI. Can you imagine? The plane climbs to 35,000 feet, the flight attendant starts pushing the drink cart down the aisle, and suddenly you're in labor.

Thankfully Anastasia Kozlova, who was only in her 30th week of pregnancy, got plenty of help. Four flight attendants and a nurse stepped in and delivered a baby girl.

At first the baby wasn't breathing but baby masseuse and trained nurse Sofia Biryukova, 23, realized the infant's passages were clogged with mucus and so she sucked on her mouth and nose, UPI reports.

The plane was quickly diverted and landed in a Ukraine airport where mother and baby were whisked away to a hospital

Let's hope Aeroloft gives this baby free flights for life!

Photo: lifecreations / Flickr

Vintage suitcases for kids Read Post

Vintage suitcases for kids

When my daughter was about 5 years old, she went through a phase where she loved to play travel. She'd stuff her grandmother's old TWA flight attendant suitcase, which was small and child-size, and walk around the house telling us she was going to Malta, Madagascar, Maine.

A small suitcase makes a great toy for a kid with a wild and worldly imagination—and you can find the perfect kid case on Etsy. Look at these vintage beauties that came up in a search.

Without wheels they might not be the right cases for kids to carry through an airport but one of these would be fun for a little girl to take on an imaginary trip to Paris with her stuffed bear and dolly.

Your child will travel in style with these retro raspberry-colored cases are from the 1950s. $30, LizziGirlVintage

Remember the Snoopy suitcases from the 1970s? $18, ModernArt


An old Samsonite suitcase decoupaged with fun alphabet images from a vintage children's book. $90, RhinestoneArmadillo.

Best Western Georgetown: Location, location, location! Read Post

Best Western Georgetown: Location, location, location!

Last weekend, my husband and I left our kids with the grandparents (something I can't recommend enough if you're a parent) and flew across the country to Washington, D.C., for a friend's wedding.

We both love to walk around big cities and wanted a centrally located hotel so we could stroll over to Georgetown for lunch, walk to the Mall in the afternoon, and then mosey over to Dupont Circle for a drink in the evening.

The Best Western Georgetown allowed us to do just that. This small and quiet boutique hotel sits on a leafy neighborhood street right between Georgetown and Dupont Circle, which are less than a 10 minute walk away. The Mall and Lincoln Memorial are a straight shot down 21st St. through the George Washington Campus. Just a mile away!

Get your kids to take better travel photos Read Post

Get your kids to take better travel photos

With today's cheaper, more durable digital cameras, every child can be a travel photo journalist - and since kids see the world from a very different vantage point (both literally and otherwise!), their photos will be all the more special.

Check out this great piece from Today for tips on teaching your budding shutterbug!

Photo: Doe, John / Flickr

Thrifty Travel Fun: Phoenix, AZ Read Post

Arizona

Thrifty Travel Fun: Phoenix, AZ

The Phoenix area boasts a long list of family-friendly activities, from museums to festivals to desert trails. But what visit would be complete without a souvenir teddy bear and a stroll through a ghost town?

Photo by Allie_Caulfield / Flickr

1. Looking for a bear-y fun way to work some cute into your vacation? The Stuffington Bear Factory, one of the few stuffed animal manufacturers with production still in the United States, offers free factory tours every afternoon. Get up close and personal with cuddly critters on the manufacturing floor (and don't be surprised if your family has grown by a few members by the time you get home!).

2. Now for a different kind of stuffed animal...Cabela's may technically be a hunting and fishing supply store, but with more than 400 museum-quality stuffed animals on display, it's also the perfect place to learn about Arizona's wildlife and it's habitat. There'e even a large aquarium! You won't just be rubbing elbows with hunters stocking up on gear - local school groups frequent the store as well.

3. Feeling brave? Add Goldfield Ghost Town to your list! Goldfield was once a booming (if very small) gold mining town, but when the gold dried up, so did life in the town. Today, however, you can step into a time machine and walk down Main Street, pan for gold - even witness a reenactment of an old west gun fight! Welcome to the Wild West!

This Saturday: Public Lands Day! Read Post

National Parks

This Saturday: Public Lands Day!

This Saturday is Public Lands Day: get out of the city, breath in some fresh air, and help preserve the beauty of America's green spaces!

What better way to spend some family time? Find a full list of volunteer sites here: http://www.publiclandsday.org/

Thrifty Travel Fun: Minneapolis, MN Read Post

Minneapolis Minnesota

Thrifty Travel Fun: Minneapolis, MN

Mulling over family trip destinations? The City of Lakes boasts endless family-friendly activities, from a healthy selection of museums to endless fresh air adventures. Add the three activities below to your list - your kids may even discover a passion for puppetry!

Photo by Manicosity / Flickr

1. In the Heart of the Beast, Minneapolis' very own puppet theater, offers colorful, friendly, Saturday morning puppet shows for kids, for a small suggested donation. Show leave the kids considering a future in puppetry? Stay afterwards for a Make-n-Take workshop!

2. Tracking down the local farmers' market is always a fantastic way to soak up some local culture, and even better, the Midtown Global Market hosts Wee Wednesdays: you and your little tyke can dig in to some free, educational programming and hands-on activities, and the little one will even be served a free lunch afterwards at a nearby restaurant.

3. Leave the bustle of the city behind and let the little ones play at fairies in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Fifteen acres of preserved land make the Sanctuary the oldest public wildflower garden in the nation, and give brave adventurers plenty of space for exploring this Midwest wonderland.

Thrifty Travel Fun: Seattle, WA Read Post

Seattle Thrifty Travel Fun

Thrifty Travel Fun: Seattle, WA

Heading to Seattle with kids? Stick these three activities to the list - for no more than the cost of a pack of bubble gum.

Photo by Abhinaba / Flickr

1. Eww, gross, the Seattle Gum Wall! Authorities have tried to scrape it clean, but to no avail. Chew til the flavor's gone, then add your hunk of Bazooka to the stickiest wall in the world.

2. Scamper around the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park: free and open to the public 365 days a year, and plenty of room for wiggly, active travelers tired of sitting in a car.

3. Have you ever met a child who doesn't thoroughly enjoy getting soaked in a fountain on a sunny day? How about a fountain that spews 9,000 gallons of water? Dig out that spare set of clothing - and the camera!

More great Seattle activities available from Cascadia Kids.

Best Western: Fall promotion Read Post

Best Western: Fall promotion

Best Western announced its fall promotion! Stay 2 separate times and earn triple rewards if you register here. Our family is planning on earning lots of rewards points as we'll be staying at Best Westerns in Washington, D.C., New York City and Seattle this fall!

It's harvest time! Experience fall on a farm Read Post

It's harvest time! Experience fall on a farm

Feeding animals and picking crops might not sound like typical vacation activities, yet this is a popular trend taking off throughout the U.S. by the name of Agritourism. That's right. Thousands of families are loading up and heading to the country -- and having tons of fun along the way. After all, apples taste better minutes after you pull them off a branch and goats are quite friendly when you're feeding them alfalfa from your own hand.

Below are three places oozing with farm fun.

Hood River, Oregon

Just follow the "Fruit Loop"-that's all you have to do to find the dozens of farms dotting the valley that spreads between town and Mount Hood. The 35-mile drive passes by pumpkin patches, alpaca farms, lavender fields, harvest festivals, corn mazes, and more fresh pies than you can possibly eat. Play: Don't miss Rasmussen Farms, where kids can pull pumpkins off their vines, Kiyokawa Family Orchards where you can pick your own apples and go on a hayride, and Cascade Alpacas, where you can help feed the animals and learn to spin yarn. Eat: The menu at Celilo Restaurant features ingredients grown at Hood River Valley farms. Stay: Best Western Hood River Inn sits on the banks of the Columbia River.

Bennington, Vermont

It's hard to visit this state without passing a working farm because there are so many (find a guide to all the farms through the Farm Association). But you'll encounter a particularly scenic area in the southern part of the state surrounding this pretty town best known as a Revolutionary War battle site. Drive the tangle of roads and you'll find yourself in the heart of rural country with old covered bridges, grazing animals and fields of crops. Play: At the Apple Barn, tour the orchards, run through a corn maze, and pick up a freshly baked pie. At Adams Farm in nearby Willmington, feed the goats and chickens and go for a hayride. Eat: After a day in the field, the fresh pizzas at Marigold Kitchen hit the spot-try the Mimi Pie with local goat cheese. Stay: Best Western New Englander Motor Inn offers a free continental breakfast.

Sevierville, Tennessee

Corn mazes, pumpkins and apples, oh my! This state has much to offer for travelers hoping to celebrate the fall harvest. And outside this town near Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the best places to do that. Play: Get lost in the five-acre corn maze and go for a hayride at Kyker Farms. Shuck corn, pick pumpkins and pet farm animals at Echo Valley Farm (pictured) in nearby New Market. Eat: Break for fried apple pies and fresh cider at the Apple Barn. Stay: Best Western Greenbrier Inn is also near Dollywood theme park.

Best places to pick apples Read Post

California family fun

Best places to pick apples

The best apple I ever ate was pulled off a tree at Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Oregon's Hood River Valley. I remember that piece of fruit well. Is was a rose-colored Honey Crisp with a dense, juicy flesh that was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

I actually picked that apple myself at the Kiyokawa "pick your own" orchard. The beautiful setting amidst an orchard spreading across a valley overlooked by snowy Mount Hood only made the apple more delicious.

On a clear, cool fall day my kids and I filled a bucket with apples, and ate nearly half of our harvest on our drive back to Portland. We didn't even have enough leftovers for pie!

Across the country you'll find orchards where you can pull apples right off the tree. Here's a list of places to help you find a pick-your-own orchard:

About.com: Apple picking in New England

All About Apples: Online resource for Apple Varieties, Orchards, and Health

Apple Hill Growers Association, California

Massachusetts Department of Agriculture: Pick-Your-Own Apple Orchards

Mommy Poppins: Apple Picking Orchards in New York and New Jersey

New York Apple Country

Ohio Apples

Pick Your Own: Online database of pick-you-own orchards

Time Out New York Kids: Pick your own apples and pumpkins in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

USA Today: 10 Great Places to Pick Your Own Apples

Virginia Apples: Guide to Pick Your Own

Photo: Courtesty Hilltop Orchards

What's the tastiest treat at Disney's new Carsland? Read Post

California

What's the tastiest treat at Disney's new Carsland?

Oh, Chili Con Queso at the new Disney Carsland in Anaheim, Calif. Let me count the ways how I love thee:

Your cone made from bread is perfectly chewy.
The spicy chili that fills your cone has a kick but you're not too spicy so kids love you too.
Your melted cheese adds richness;
And the Frito's chips add crunch,
Which makes you fun to munch.
I love how I can hold you in my hand as I eat you.
You're this most perfect hand-held meal.
No wonder everyone walking around Carsland was eating you.

How early should you arrive at the airport? Read Post

How early should you arrive at the airport?

This picture of my husband and two kids crashed on the floor of London Heathrow airport amid a heap of luggage makes me laugh. My husband is completely sacked out. My son is mid-yawn and my daughter looks as if she hasn't slept in days.

The photo was taken at 4 a.m. Yes, 4 a.m. Who in their right mind gets up at 4 a.m.? My father to catch a plane. He's hyper-vigilant about getting to the airport early and on this lovely morning he woke us up at 3 a.m. and put us on a bus from Downtown London to Heathrow to catch a 7 a.m. flight to Spain. He was worried that we might hit traffic but the roads were eerily vacant and our bus driver whisked us through London as if we had a police escort driving ahead to pave our way.

Yes, we arrived at the airport three hours early and when we walked up to the ticket counter in a sleepy stupor and realized that it was closed and wouldn't be open for two hours, the only thing I could do was bust out laughing. I was delirious, with only a few hours of sleep under my belt, at that point. All I could do was laugh, as my husband and kids fell to the floor in frustration.

I'm afraid that I've adopted my father's arrive-early attitude. It's in my blood. I don't get to the airport three hours early, as he always does, but I always aim to get their two hours ahead. I hate nothing more than sitting stuck in traffic in a cab wondering whether I'll make my plane. Travel is stressful enough as it is. I'd rather give myself plenty of time so I can move at a leisurely place and not fret if the shuttle van taking me from the long-term parking lot to the main terminal crashes into a car. That happened to me once but I still made my flight because I'd given myself plenty of wiggle room. Plus, I enjoy hanging out at the airport, watching the people pass by, the jets taking off, reading junky celebrity magazines.

My husband on the other hand likes to cut things close. He hates nothing more than browsing airport gift shops and eating over-priced food. He wants to arrive just in time to make his flight and spend as little time at the airport as possible. As a result, he sometimes misses planes.

What about you? How early do you like to arrive at the airport before your flight?

Double rainbow graces San Francisco sky Read Post

California

Double rainbow graces San Francisco sky

Last night I stepped outside to water the plants and I was greeted by the most gorgeous double rainbow arcing across a glazed pink sky above San Francisco.

"Come look!" I shouted to the kids.

"Wow!" my daughter squealed.

"Let's go find the pot of gold," my son said.

We ran to front of our house out onto the street to get a fuller view of the colors gracing the sky. The glorious arc reached high above the downtown skyscrapers. Neighbors were standing in the middle of the street, their cameras pointing for the sky. We all stood there in awe—and watched the rainbow slowly fade into the darkening sky.

All of this beauty created by a light rain.

Summer's nearly over—make holiday travel plans now Read Post

Family travel tips

Summer's nearly over—make holiday travel plans now

You might still be enjoying the last bit of summer, wearing flip-flops, swimming with the kids, and barbecuing in the backyard. Christmas probably isn't on your mind—but it should be if you want to hop on a plane this holiday.

If you want a good fare, or even a seat, now's the time to start researching and maybe even buying tickets.

Start researching fares. It's smart to start tracking air fare prices now and then when a good deal comes up you'll know it. If you saw a $500 round-trip in early August and then that same flight dips down to $300 in September, you'll know to grab that ticket. Sites such as Bing, Yapata and FareCompare can help you track prices and will even send alerts when a ticket price goes down.

Buy after Labor Day. Ticket prices often go down after the three-day weekend holiday. If you see a good price, buy it—especially if you want to visit a popular destination such as Disney World or Hawaii. Flights going to these places fill up fast and prices are likely to only go up. With less popular destinations, you might have some time to shop around and wait to see if prices dip.

Book tickets with frequent flier miles now. Airlines release a limited number of seats that can be purchased with frequent flier miles and they go fast. If you want to go to Hawaii on miles, you're probably already too late, but you can still score seats on less popular routes.

Photo: gracey / Morgue File

Got extra time to spare at the airport? Teach your kids life lessons Read Post

Got extra time to spare at the airport? Teach your kids life lessons

Last week I found myself with my two kids at the Portland, Ore., airport three hours before our plane was scheduled to take off. Ugh! What to do?

I decided to use the time to teach my kids how to navigate an airport. We rolled our luggage into the main terminal and I handed them a piece of paper with our flight details. "Here," I said. "You figure it out."

At first my kids ages 7 and 9 gave me a baffled look—and then they got mad. "Mooommm! This isn't fair! We're just kids! We can't figure this out."

But they quickly realized that I wasn't going to help so they started reading the piece of paper. They figured out we were flying Southwest Airlines and found the check-in counter, but it took a lot of sign reading and frustration to figure out which line we needed to stand in.

Once we standing in front of the check-in computer their attitude changed. Pressing the buttons on the computer and following the prompts was fun (though of course they fought over who could work the computer).

Boarding passes in hand, they read the tickets to figure out which gate we were leaving from and directed us to the correct security check-in. They read the signs in line and got out my laptop and told me to take my shoes off. The tables were turning and they realized that bossing mom around was fun.

Soon we were sitting at our gate, with more time to spare.

"Ok, you have $35 to cover lunch for the three of us. Figure it out!"

My daughter wanted pizza and my son wanted us all to go to a sit-down Mexican restaurant. My 9-year-old daughter walked into the restaurant and asked a waiter if she could bring a slice of pizza into the restaurant and eat with her mom and brother.

Soon we were snacking on chips and salsa and my daughter was enjoying her pizza. My son ordered us a taco plate to share to so we made sure to stick within our budget. But mainly they wanted to make sure we had money leftover for ice cream. They had definitely earned it.

Mirror images: Is it Disney's new Carsland or Route 66? Read Post

California Disneyland

Mirror images: Is it Disney's new Carsland or Route 66?

Four years ago our family drove Route 66, 2,400 miles, between Chicago, Ill., and Santa Monica, Calif. We drove through baking hot desert, climbed majestic mountains, and make stops in a litany of fabled towns: San Bernardino, Flagstaff, Gallup, Albuquerque, Tucumcari, Amarillo, and Joplin. We saw the Grand Canyon, the St. Louis Gateway Arch andMeramec Caverns. And we followed in the footsteps of dreamers, ramblers, drifters, and writers: John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie, and Jack Kerouac.

We also followed in the footsteps of the Disney and Pixar animator and director John Lassetter and his crew of movie makers who rove the highway only a couple years before us to get inspiration for Cars. The animated film about an anthropomorphic race car named Lightning Queen who helps save Radiator Springs, a dying town that was once a popular stopover on Route 66. The town and many of its characters are based on real-life places and people along the famed American Highway.

And now Disney and Pixar have created a new land in California Adventure based on the film—and another crew of Disney imagineers made the trip along Route 66 to gather ideas.

Our family visited Carsland this summer and we spotted similarities between those roadside diners, auto shops, gas stations, souvenir stands, and burger joints we visited along Route 66 and the shops, restaurants and fluorescent signs lining Carsland. We snapped a lot of photos at the new area of the park and we later pulled out our Route 66 pics. It was fun to draw connections between what we saw at Disneyland and places we visited along Route 66.

Below I've paired a few Route 66 and Carsland images. Can you tell which one is the real deal and which one was created by Disney?

Disney California Adventure: Flo's V-8 Cafe takes you back to the 1950s Read Post

California

Disney California Adventure: Flo's V-8 Cafe takes you back to the 1950s

Where's the best place to fuel up at the new Carsland in Disney California Adventure. We loved Flo's V-8 Cafe, that's inspired by the drive-ins along Route 66 and takes you back to the 1950s. We tried the roasted citrus turkey breast and chocolate Ugly Crust pie.

What's the hottest-selling souvenir at Disneyland this summer? Read Post

California

What's the hottest-selling souvenir at Disneyland this summer?

Goodbye mouse ears! Hello tire hats.

This year Disneyland fans are walking around the park wearing Luigi Flying Tires hats for sale at $24.95 at Sarge's Surplus Hut in the new Carsland.

The day I surprised my kids with a trip to Disneyland Read Post

California

The day I surprised my kids with a trip to Disneyland

The plan was to not tell the kids we were going to Disneyland for the day. Instead we told them that we were meeting a work friend of my husband's. His friend had two toddlers and their assignment was to watch the children who we named Aidan and Emily. We told our kids that if they behaved at the meeting, we'd buy them ice cream.

They were obviously annoyed but perked up after I told them about the ice cream. We were living in a Southern California mountain town at the time. The kids were attending an art camp and my husband and I were working remotely. It was a two hour drive into Los Angeles, where we were supposedly going to meet my husband's work friend.

But instead we turned off the freeway into Orange County.

My kids have only been to Disneyland once when they were young so they had no clue where we were going. We drove in a back way to avoid signage but when we turned onto Disneyland Drive and the Matterhorn was in sight my son asked, "Mom, is that the real Disneyland?"

I told him, "Yes."

And then he asked nonchalantly, "Can we go?"

My husband and I broke out into joyful screams, "We're going to Disneyland!!!"

My kids looked at us absolutely dumbfounded. I thought they'd be screaming too but they were too surprised to make a sound.

3 reasons my kids love Best Western Hotels Read Post

3 reasons my kids love Best Western Hotels

Any time our family is driving down the highway and my kids spot a blue and yellow sign they shout out BeWe—in our family that means you've seen a Best Western hotel! These kids, ages 7 and 9, have fallen in love with the hotel chain. It makes sense. I work for Best Western and my kids have stayed in BeWes all over the country. But there are three main reasons why this hotel chain continues to win over their hearts.

1) Swimming pools. Over 90 percent of Best Western hotels have swimming pools and my kids are always excited to jump into the water. Parents might have grand plans for all sorts of vacation activities, from hikes to museum visits, but let's face it, kids just want to play in the pool.

2) Fresh waffles. Many Best Westerns serve free breakfast and many have waffle-making machines. Pour in some batter, wait a couple minutes, and presto, you've got a piping hot, perfectly crisp waffle. Pass the syrup, please!

3) They're everywhere! From New York City to Memphis, Tenn., to the Grand Canyon. Best Westerns are all over the United States, not to mention the world. Paris? Yes! Budapest? Of course. My kids love the consistency of staying at the same chain (and I love racking up the rewards points). They like screaming out BeWe every time they spot one from the freeway. First one to see the BeWe gets bragging rights for the day in our family!

Thrifty Travel Fun: Denver, CO

Thrifty Travel Fun: Austin, TX

Thrifty Travel Fun: Cleveland, OH

Thrifty Travel Fun: Providence, RI

It's a girl! Woman delivers baby on a plane

Vintage suitcases for kids

Best Western Georgetown: Location, location, location!

Get your kids to take better travel photos

Thrifty Travel Fun: Phoenix, AZ

This Saturday: Public Lands Day!

Thrifty Travel Fun: Minneapolis, MN

Thrifty Travel Fun: Seattle, WA

Best Western: Fall promotion

It's harvest time! Experience fall on a farm

Best places to pick apples

What's the tastiest treat at Disney's new Carsland?

How early should you arrive at the airport?

Double rainbow graces San Francisco sky

Summer's nearly over—make holiday travel plans now

Got extra time to spare at the airport? Teach your kids life lessons

Mirror images: Is it Disney's new Carsland or Route 66?

Disney California Adventure: Flo's V-8 Cafe takes you back to the 1950s

What's the hottest-selling souvenir at Disneyland this summer?

The day I surprised my kids with a trip to Disneyland

3 reasons my kids love Best Western Hotels

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